


Between who you are and who you could be

by philote_auctor



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Gen, Hugs, Identity Reveal, Post-Spider-Man: Homecoming, Precious Peter Parker, Tony Stark Has A Heart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-13
Updated: 2019-07-13
Packaged: 2020-05-30 17:50:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19408309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/philote_auctor/pseuds/philote_auctor
Summary: In which May sees through Peter’s disguise, Karen doesn’t keep secrets, and Tony’s own masks start to break down as he steps up to help. For Peter, it’s far more stressful than a nice patrol with bank robbers or weapons dealers would have been…but it might be worth it.





	Between who you are and who you could be

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SinginInTheRaine](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SinginInTheRaine/gifts).



> Written for SinginInTheRaine in the Not Prime Time 2019 challenge. I hope you enjoy!
> 
> This picks up right at the end of _Spider-Man: Homecoming_ , when May finds Peter in the suit. There are no spoilers beyond that point in the Marvel movie canon; feel free to read it as an alternate timeline where _Infinity War_ and _Endgame_ never take place. That was my headspace when writing it, at least. :)

May had always been pretty cool as far as parental figures go. She had rules and expectations, but she was never especially strict. Peter’s friends always liked her best. But she was still the authority figure in his life, and he knew she tried to be a good role model. Peter had certainly heard her swear before, but she generally kept it toned down in front of him.

So when she was pacing and spurting a string of expletives at an octave higher than her normal tone, that was probably cause for concern.

Peter, for his part, stood frozen in the middle of his bedroom, staring at her with wide eyes. He was totally suited up except for the mask, which dangled from his right hand. His fingers were going numb from the death grip he’d clenched it in, but he didn’t really notice. All his attention was on his aunt.

Why hadn’t he shut the door? He’d always been so careful, trying to keep her from finding out about the superhero side of his life. He’d just been so excited to get the suit back.

She abruptly went quiet, studying him, breathing hard. He held absolutely still as she slowly stepped closer, stopping a mere foot away. “What is this, Peter?” she asked softly.

He might have preferred the swearing. He swallowed hard and opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

Her eyes narrowed as she looked him up and down. “This is Tony Stark’s handiwork, isn’t it?”

Peter glanced down at the suit. “Well, y-yes…”

“Give me his number,” she demanded. “We need to talk.”

“Oh, no…see, actually—I have Happy’s number, Happy works for Mr. Stark, and I talk to Happy and then if he needs to, Happy calls Mr. Stark…” he babbled.

“Calling Tony Stark,” Karen’s voice abruptly piped up from the mask.

Peter’s eyes bugged out. “What?” he yelped, raising the mask closer to his face. “No, Karen, don’t—”

There was a telltale ringing sound. May’s glare, if possible, darkened.

“I didn’t have it, I didn’t know he’d programmed it…” Peter didn’t want her to think he was lying. Which was kind of ironic, all things considered.

The ringing stopped as the call connected. Tony Stark’s voice emanated from the Spider-Man mask. It was a little tinny, like hearing him through a short tunnel, but they could understand him clearly. “Mr. Parker. You found your goody bag, I take it?”

All Peter managed was an odd little squeak. May was staring at the mask as if it was an alien thing.

“Kid, you okay? Your vitals are a little off.”

“So the suit’s name is Karen, and it senses your vital signs,” May muttered in disbelief.

“Peter?” Mr. Stark’s disembodied voice was growing concerned. “Answer me, now.”

May grabbed Peter’s wrist, angling the mask so she could speak into it. “Stark, this had better be a very high-tech cosplay costume you’ve made for my nephew.”

There was a lengthy pause, during which Peter mused a little hysterically that that would have been a very good excuse. Why hadn’t he thought of it?

Then, because the man was Tony Stark, he rallied admirably. “Ah, the lovely May Parker. Can I assume your proximity to the suit is the reason for Peter’s panic attack?”

May refocused on him sharply. Peter fought the urge to throw himself under his bottom bunk and hide. He could feel his heart pounding.

May released him and stepped back. She looked away, a shaky hand coming up to rub at her mouth.

“Peter, breathe,” Tony’s voice commanded.

His body responded to the order automatically. He blinked against the dark spots trying to crowd out his vision as he gulped some air into his lungs. “I’m okay,” he choked out after a long moment.

“Your respiration is improving, but your heart rate is still much higher than it should be when you are not swinging through the city,” Karen chimed in.

May let out a strangled noise. Peter gulped.

Mr. Stark spoke again. “Right. I’m just going to come down there and help clear some things up, okay? May?”

She made a wet little snorting sound. “Why not?”

Peter didn’t think the transmitter could have picked it up clearly, but Tony responded anyway. “Thirty minutes. Just…I’ll be there soon. No one do anything drastic.”

There was a click followed by Karen informing, “Tony Stark has disconnected.”

There was then a long minute of uncomfortable silence broken only by the sound of ragged breathing. “Aunt May…”

“Well,” she cut him off. “I guess we’re going to have a guest. I’ll fix dinner.”

“Oh, I don’t think you need to…” He trailed off as she turned and strode out. He wasn’t sure what he’d been going to say anyway; this was most certainly not the time to joke about Mr. Stark not needing food poisoning.

“Peter, I suggest you sit down and put your head between your knees.”

“Thanks a lot, Karen,” he bit out. Then he did sit down, because he was still feeling a little dizzy.

“You are welcome,” she stated evenly.

He huffed. “You know, I think FRIDAY understands sarcasm. I’m gonna have to talk to Tony about your programming.”

Peter tucked the mask away before she could respond. Then he just sat and tried very hard not to think. When it felt like it had been about fifteen minutes, he glanced at his watch and frowned. It had only been five. Much as he dreaded more confrontation, he really, really wanted Tony to get here soon.

He scrubbed a hand over his face, wondering idly when Mr. Stark had started to become ‘Tony’ in his mind.

He got up and closed his bedroom door, though as he stripped off the suit, he couldn’t help but think he’d felt far more naked in it than just his underwear. All his secrets, laid bare. His hands shook as he pulled on his jeans and t-shirt.

When he was dressed, he just stood there for several long minutes. Then he summoned his courage and ventured towards the kitchen.

May was facing the stove, stirring a pot with enough force to send the contents airborne. Peter winced as a brownish substance spattered the refrigerator.

“May?”

She froze. Then she very carefully wiped her hands on a dishrag before she turned to face him. Her nose was red, her face a little blotchy, and he felt like he’d been socked in the stomach. He hadn’t seen her cry since Ben’s funeral. And while she wasn’t really crying now, he thought maybe she had been, at least a little.

He cleared his throat, and then just fidgeted. He felt like he had to say something, but he had no idea what words to use.

An insistent knocking at the door broke the strained silence. Peter jerked, his nerves on edge. May drew in a deep breath and turned away, going to answer it.

Peter went after her. He stood back and awkwardly off to the side as she flung the door open. There stood Tony Stark, three-piece suit and all. May just stared at him. For a long moment no one spoke, then Tony cleared his throat and nodded to her. “May. You look lovely this evening.”

“My stew is burning,” she said abruptly. She turned and left him standing in the hallway as she stalked back to the kitchen.

“I didn’t know stew could burn,” Tony said into the space she left behind. “Rough day, kid?”

“Kind of.” Peter’s voice came out an octave higher than normal. He coughed and tried again. “It was actually pretty good until the yelling and the swearing and the … you know.”

Tony stepped over the threshold and lowered his voice. “The big reveal? Yeah, it seems that could have gone better. But it could’ve also been worse, so there’s that.”

Peter laughed, a humorless and strangled little sound. “I don’t really see how,” he muttered as he stepped closer and went to reach around Tony, intending to close the door. But Tony misinterpreted the movement, opening his arms and pulling Peter into a hug.

There was a good joke to be made here. Peter really wanted to point out that he’d just been getting the door; not going for a hug. But in truth it was a desperately needed hug, and his throat was suddenly too tight to say anything at all. He latched onto Tony in return and pressed his face into the expensive fabric of his jacket.

He wasn’t really sure when they’d made it to the stage with hugs, but he was grateful. It was warm and solid and strong and he’d really like to just stay here and not deal with reality. That would be nice.

All too soon, Mr. Stark patted his back and picked up the conversation thread again. “Oh, it could always be worse. She could have found out by recognizing you on the news. You could’ve been captured and unmasked by some villain on live television. Or…” he trailed off when Peter pulled back to stare at him in horror. He winced. “Sorry. I was actually trying for comfort, there.”

“Maybe stick with the hugging. You’re good at the hugging.”

Tony smirked. “I don’t think I’ve been accused of that before, but okay.” He squeezed Peter’s shoulder and released him before reaching back into the hallway. He brought in a case and tucked it against the wall by the door.

“Did Iron Man just land on the roof of my apartment building?” Peter whispered incredulously. He’d thought Mr. Stark had made surprisingly good time, beating even his thirty-minute estimate. But Iron Man flitting around Queens was likely to draw unwanted attention.

“Give me a little credit, Underoos. I landed inconspicuously in an alley two blocks away and walked up in public like an average person. I do know how to do subtle.”

Peter couldn’t help his scoff. “I’ve heard lots of words to describe you, but ‘average’ and ‘subtle’ are new.”

“Really? Sass? After I came rushing to your rescue?”

Peter huffed out a little laugh. “Thank you for coming, Tony. I mean, Mr. Tony. I mean…” he shook his head, befuddled.

“Kid, you’ve had a hug. You can call me Tony.” He reached back to close the door, then refocused on Peter. “Normally the first name basis would actually come first, but I haven’t always done things in the right order with you. I’m going to do better.”

Peter wasn’t sure what that meant. He thought it probably should make him nervous, but he already had too much to worry about at the moment.

“Hey.” Tony took him by the shoulders and looked him in the eye. “It’s going to be okay.”

Peter took a breath and nodded. “When, exactly?”

There was a loud crash from the kitchen, followed by a colorful curse. Peter winced. “Probably some time _after_ dinner,” Tony admitted. “But the important thing for you to remember, the one that really matters, is that she loves you. Right?”

“Right.” And it was true, of course. “I’d just kinda like to skip to the ‘okay’ part.”

“Wouldn’t we all?” Tony steered him towards the kitchen. “Look, I think it’s best if we just go with the truth, here. Just be honest, whatever she asks.”

“Honesty. Okay. That’s what you’d do?”

Tony hesitated. “This is one of those many moments when I reiterate that I want you to be better than me.” That said, he pasted on a solicitous smile as they stood in the kitchen doorway and he lifted his voice. “May, something smells wonderful.”

It did not, in fact. ‘Questionable’ was probably a nice way to describe the scent. And when they were sitting at the table with full bowls a few minutes later, it became clear that the taste was even more suspect.

May ate mechanically, silently, while Tony and Peter each choked down a few spoonfuls. She didn’t seem to notice. When she had apparently gathered herself and set down her spoon to eye them both seriously, they gave up the effort and did the same.

She took a deep breath. “How did this happen?”

Peter glanced at Tony and took his nod as encouragement. Though he stumbled over his words a bit, he began to tell her about figuring out he had powers and beginning to use them to help people around Queens.

“But where did the powers come from?”

“Well, there was this radioactive spider…”

May’s accusatory gaze went to Tony. “Yours?”

“What—no!” Peter exclaimed.

“No,” Tony confirmed more calmly. “Biology’s not really my area of expertise.”

“Aunt May, the spider was way before Mr. Stark met me. I was Spider-Man before.”

“I just upgraded his pajamas a bit.”

“They weren’t pajamas!”

“Just,” May repeated doubtfully, looking between them. “This—Spider-Man—this _is_ the Stark internship, isn’t it? There’s no grant, no work he can actually put on a resume or college application.”

“I’ll be happy to write him a glowing recommendation.”

“Not the point,” she snapped. “Peter never applied for anything, did he? When you first came here that day, you knew. You were looking for him because of this.”

“I had done my research.”

“So from the very first moment you two met, you were conspiring to lie to me.”

“Um,” was all Peter managed.

Luckily, Tony was far more accustomed to the art of negotiation. “Conspiracy is a strong term. I would say that we were on the same wavelength pretty quickly.” Tony glanced at Peter apologetically as he added, “Peter wasn’t ready to tell you. And I wouldn’t have had much basis of trust with him if the first thing I’d done was out him to the person he loves most.”

May stared at him for a long moment, then turned her attention. “Peter?”

“I…I didn’t know how to tell you. I know you want me to be safe; you’re always telling me to run the other way if I see danger but I just…can’t. Not anymore; not now that I can help. And I thought you’d freak out, especially after…everything.” Peter stopped short of saying Ben’s name. He couldn’t even let his thoughts go there, not fully, not without losing his composure. He took a deep breath and continued. “You’d been through so much.”

May’s eyes were glistening. “ _We_ , Peter. We’d been through so much. I thought we were in this together.”

“We are! I just…I didn’t want you to worry.”

“Terrific. I hate to break it to you, Pete, but now you’ve got worry _and_ disappointment.”

“I think the most important point,” Tony broke in, redirecting her attention, “is that we’re all on the same side here. That being the side of the good guys; anti-crime, helping people…that sort of thing. That gives us a basis for understanding, right? Unless you want to make some declaration about undying alien love that has given you delusions of world domination. Then we might have a problem.”

May glared at him. “You’re not as charming as you think you are.”

“I have my moments.”

“This isn’t one of them.”

“No, probably not,” Tony conceded. “But that’s okay. I don’t want to charm you or deceive you here. I just want to help you protect your kid.”

“Why?” she asked bluntly.

It clearly took him aback. “Why?”

That was an interesting question, actually, and now that it had been posed, Peter kind of wanted to know the answer, too. He glanced at Tony to find the man looking a bit bewildered.

“Because I can,” he finally said.

May raised her eyebrows and cocked her head at him, an expression that Peter well knew meant that answer wouldn’t cut it.

If Tony understood that too, he bravely ignored it as he blustered on. “I have the resources and the experience to help him navigate this endeavor.”

“Endeavor?” she repeated incredulously. “So, let me make sure I have this straight. You found a teenager with supernatural powers, dressed him up, and sent him out to fight crime?”

“'Armored' might be a better term than ‘dress-up’…”

“I dressed myself up!” Peter broke in. “Please Aunt May, it isn’t his fault. He’s just tried to help me with something I was doing anyway.”

May looked at him. “You’ve always been such a good kid, Peter. I never worried about what you were up to, I just assumed…” she trailed off and shook her head. “What else should I be worried about? Your grades?”

“No, still all A’s. Promise!”

“Trouble at school? Detentions?”

Peter winced. “Well, there might have been a few of those…”

“Fighting?”

“No. I mean, not at school.”

“Drugs? Girlfriends? Unsafe sex?”

“No! No sex!” Peter felt his face burning. “C’mon May, you know Homecoming was my first date!”

“Do I, Peter? You’ve been lying to me about everything important for months. I didn’t worry too much about you sneaking out because I thought you just needed some space.” She snorted derisively, then reached up to pull off her glasses and squeeze the bridge of her nose. “Who else knows?”

Tony answered. “Only a couple of people in my innermost circle. I trust them with my life.”

But May was eyeing him instead. “Peter?”

“Ned knows,” he confessed.

May just nodded, like she’d expected it. Tony, on the other hand, now cast him a dubious look.

“He found out by accident!” Peter explained. “Almost just like May did, actually.”

Her lips turned up slightly. “I’m guessing he took it much better.”

Peter dared a rueful little grin in return. “Like Christmas came early, with a new Star Wars movie.”

An uncertain silence descended. Tony broke it by clearing his throat. “So, who’s Ned?”

“He’s my best friend.”

“Good. Friends are great. I’m going to need a last name for the background check.” He had pulled out his phone and a stylus.

Peter stared at him. “What?!”

“I don’t really think…” May stared to say, then seemed to reconsider. “It’s Leeds.” Peter switched his incredulous stare to her as she spelled it out.

“He’s in high school!” Peter defended. “He’s been my friend since we were kids, since long before the spider bite. He’s not a threat.”

“Probably not,” Tony said, clearly humoring him. “Any other new players I should know about?”

Peter hesitated for a beat. He remembered the honesty instruction, but this did not feel like the time to bring up Toomes. If Tony was upset about Ned, that would send him off the deep end. Besides, Peter told himself, Toomes wasn’t really a ‘new’ development. “No. I mean, other than Aunt May.”

Tony eyed him, but let it drop. Something told Peter he’d be returning to the issue later.

“Did Ben know?” May asked, so softly it was barely audible.

Peter drew in a sharp breath, taken aback. His throat closed up; he couldn’t speak. He just shook his head.

He felt a strong hand slide across his shoulder, where it stayed, a steady, warm presence. After a long minute of quiet, a softer hand closed around his wrist. He looked up, blinking away the blurriness to take in May’s expression. Her lips were pressed together in a slight grimace, but it was her eyes that caught him. There was a touch of anguish there, but there was empathy, too.

“Peter,” Tony said quietly. “Tell her what you told me that first day.”

Peter sniffled and frowned in confusion. “That my original suit wasn’t a onesie?”

Tony huffed a little laugh, and even May let out a surprised snort. “No, bud. The part about the bad things.”

“Oh.” He didn’t remember the exact words he’d used, but that was okay. The belief was buried deep within him. “When you have abilities like I do, but you don’t use them to help, and then bad things happen to people…well, then it’s like the bad things are your fault. I don’t know why I was given these powers, I didn’t ask for them – but I have them. So they’re my responsibility, to use them right.”

Tony squeezed his shoulder, but when Peter glanced at him his eyes were on May.

Peter looked to her too, in time to see her eyes cut to meet Tony’s. He watched as some silent communication went between them. Then she looked back to Peter as she took a deep breath. “Okay.”

“Oh…kay?”

“Okay, we’ll figure out where we go from here.” May nodded with a bit more conviction. She glanced from him to Tony and back again. “Peter, I’d like you to go to your room for a bit. I need to speak with Mr. Stark.”

“Oh. But,” he lifted his spoon pitifully, indicating his bowl, “I didn’t finish dinner.”

“Yeah, nobody’s finishing this.” She made a face as she gathered up the bowls. “I’ll stick some pop tarts in the toaster; grab one on your way.”

As she walked away, Peter looked to Tony uncertainly. “It’s gonna be fine, kid. I’m good. She’ll be good. And you’ll be great, okay?”

Peter nodded slowly and stood. He felt better than he had before Tony showed up, even if things were still unsettled. “You didn’t have to do this,” he commented.

“I know.” Tony patted him on the back and nodded towards his room. “Now get going.”

In the kitchen, he took a hot pop tart from May and watched as she put another on a small plate. “I’m sorry.”

She nodded and blew out a long breath. “I love you, Peter.”

His breathing hitched. “I love you too.”

She drew him closer for a quick hug and then let him go with a kiss on the forehead. “Go on.”

As he went into his room, he heard May placing the little plate on the table. He tried to imagine Tony’s face. He’d be surprised if the man had ever been given a pop tart in his life.

“Peter,” May called warningly.

“Yes, ma’am,” he responded, and dutifully closed the door with a little snick. He stood there staring at it for a long moment, mechanically eating his pop tart. Then he turned and retrieved the mask.

“Welcome back, Peter,” Karen said, and he didn’t think he was imagining the disapproval in her tone.

“Sorry about earlier, Karen,” he said earnestly. “I know you were just trying to help.”

“That is my purpose.”

“I need you to help me focus the hearing on May and Tony, okay?”

Dialing up the hearing on his own had never worked very well. The hazards of living in close quarters with other apartments meant that he knew what the Andersons were fighting over three doors down and more than he ever wanted to know about the love lives of the couple in the apartment below theirs. But, thanks to Mr. Stark’s programming, Karen could help him filter out the excess and zero in on what he wanted to hear. She obliged him now, and soon he could clearly hear May and Tony’s conversation.

“So, on a scale of one to ‘considering methods of body disposal,’ how upset are you?”

“Half an hour ago you might have been in danger of never leaving this apartment, but now?” She paused. Peter could practically see her shaking her head. “I think I’m as upset with myself as anyone. I should have known. Maybe I _did_ know, I just didn’t want to admit it to myself.”

“You suspected?”

“I knew something was different. I knew he was sneaking out. I didn’t know he was risking his life in red spandex on a nightly basis, but now that I do, the idea isn’t so farfetched. He’s always been a hero at heart, that kid.” The frustrated affection in her voice made his chest feel tight.

“There’s actually very little spandex…never mind. Look, May, you’ve got every right to be upset with me. I interfered with your kid. I pulled him further into a world you know nothing about, and in your place I think I would be pretty pissed.”

She made a sound of agreement. Peter could well imagine the look Tony was receiving.

“But like you just said, this is who he is. He was Spider-Man before I came along. And he’ll continue to be Spider-Man, with or without me. He’s proven that. Given that choice…I’d rather he had whatever protection I can provide, rather than be out there alone.”

“How did he prove it?”

Peter cringed. Tony was hesitating, and for a moment Peter dared to think he would gloss over it or at least downplay it. But then, he started telling her the whole story. The arms dealers, the ferry, taking the suit and what followed – what Tony knew of it, anyway, which was more than enough. Peter kind of wanted to rip the mask off, but the prospect of not knowing what was being said was somehow even worse than hearing it recounted. So he just sat down, curled his knees up to his chest, and kept listening.

“So in the end your kid saved the day, even in his pajamas. I knew, then.”

“Knew what?”

“What you said a few minutes ago; what you’ve known all along. He _is_ a hero.”

Peter sucked in a surprised breath. He’d never really thought that himself, not in so many words. To hear Tony Stark say it, like it was just fact, was kind of surreal.

“There’s just so much I didn’t know. So much I still don’t,” May said softly.

“I can help you with some of that, but your best bet is to ask him.”

“Yeah, if he’ll talk to me.” She sounded more discouraged than frustrated.

“Give him an open forum; he will. He’s not trying to hide so much as he’s trying to protect you.”

May made a vague noise that Peter couldn’t really interpret without the expression that went with it.

“Look, you’ve got a lot to think about. You probably need some time to process. Why don’t you and Peter come out to the Compound tomorrow? I’ll send a car for you; you can come and see him work out in a controlled environment. See what he can do. And ask any questions you’ve thought up for me.”

There were several long minutes of quiet, long enough that Peter grew even more anxious. But then May said, “Will you do something for me?”

“Anything. Well, anything legal. And maybe a few things that aren’t, if they’re deal-breakers for you.”

“We’ll come, tomorrow. When we do, I’d like an honest answer to my earlier question.”

“Which question?”

“Why? Why do you want to protect him so badly; why are you so invested here?”

There was a moment of silence, then Tony started to say something. May cut him off. “No; don’t give me a trite answer that you think I want to hear. Think about it, please.”

There was a hesitation. Then, “All right.”

“Where are you going?”

“Uh…I thought that was a dismissal.”

“I suppose it was, but you can’t go without saying goodbye to Peter.”

“That would be okay?”

“That would be necessary, if you want to stay in my good graces.”

“Sorry; I didn’t know I’d achieved ‘good graces’ status yet. Definitely don’t want to endanger that.”

Footsteps drew near. Peter quickly stood and stepped back from the door, yanking the mask off and hastily plopping into his desk chair just before a quick knock preceded Mr. Stark’s entrance.

Peter tried for wide-eyed innocence, but Tony glanced at the hastily discarded mask and then cast him a knowing look. “You’re supposed to use your powers for good.”

“I think making sure you don’t die in my living room counts.”

Tony made a show of pressing a hand to his chest. “Pete, I’m touched.”

Peter grumbled, embarrassed. “Yeah, well. If May kills you and then she goes to prison, who’s going to take me in? Happy?”

Tony snorted. “Oh, okay. I’m glad to know my welfare is high on your list of priorities. You know, I would actually pay money to see a sitcom with you and Happy trying to live together. That would be golden.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Peter muttered.

“Happy’s a good guy. You know he is actually rather fond of you, right? I’m reasonably certain he would take care of you even if he wasn’t getting paid to do it.”

“Well, as long as there’s a reasonable certainty,” Peter snarked.

“Okay, little smartass. I assume you heard everything?”

Peter hesitated a beat before nodding.

“Good; then there’s no need to repeat myself." He was going for casual, but eying Peter too carefully to quite pull it off. "I’ll see you tomorrow, then?"

"Yeah," Peter said, his voice abruptly thick. Before he could talk himself out of it, he stood and quickly threw his arms around Tony again.

The man caught him with a slight 'oof.' "Okay yes, almost forgot the 'good at the hugging' part."

"Thank you," Peter said, muffled because his face was pressed against Tony's shoulder.

"You don't have to keep thanking me, kiddo. I...I _want_ to help you."

He still didn't seem ready to tackle the 'why,' but Peter wouldn't press. He had no doubt that May would eventually get her answer. Though she was genuinely sweet and easy-going, he knew Tony was learning that she could also be a force to be reckoned with. And when the two of them joined forces? Well, heaven help anyone who wanted to hurt Spider-Man, or Peter Parker. Peter grinned at the thought. 

After a long moment, Tony patted him a little uncertainly. "Um, confession here...I'm actually not all that experienced at the hugging. I'm sure I'll be an expert soon enough, but...is there some book of rules I can order? Like, what's the usual duration? Am I supposed to wait until you let go...?"

Peter huffed a laugh and took pity on him, stepping back. "I think we can figure it out as we go, Mister..." he paused, and corrected himself. "Tony."

Tony grinned back at him. "Sounds like a plan."

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: The characters and situations of the Marvel Universe do not belong to me. I make no money from this story. Title is from Switchfoot’s “Dare You to Move,” please consider that disclaimed as well.


End file.
